• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 1, 2008

Who knew Sweet 'N Low had any marketing budget to speak of--not with Splenda acting as a Wal-Mart to its Five and Dime? But even if Splenda's yellow packets may be generating more green than the inveterate pink ones, Sweet 'N Low has found the sugar to hire an American original for a new campaign.

Sweet 'N Low--which faced an initial challenge from the blue-packeted Equal in the early 1980s before Splenda came into the artificial sweetener category two decades later--is now 50.

Born in Brooklyn in 1957, it is capitalizing on its golden anniversary with a TV, print and online campaign starring entertainer/pitchman-for-hire Regis Philbin.

Yellow market leader be darned: it's embracing its pink hue, with Philbin joined by the Pink Panther.

"When we found out (Philbin) was an avid and long-time user, we jumped at the chance to make him our international spokesperson," said Jeff Eisenstadt, the CEO of Sweet 'N Low's parent Cumberland Packing Corp.

. Philbin's big abroad?

Anyway, Sweet 'N Low tops Splenda and Equal for him. "It's got that extra zing of sweetness none of the others have," he says.

Some nine billion packets of Sweet 'N Low are used each year. And despite any competitive issues, that's apparently enough to generate some marketing heft for Cumberland.

To wit: Philbin's TV spots have appeared during some high-profile shows. And the 50-year campaign appears to have included some branded integration too.

It's not Philbin opening a pink packet and pouring it into his coffee while sitting next to Kelly Ripa--rather, a creative product placement on the CBS drama "Swingtown."

While Philbin is out there touting its taste ("unique and I love it"), Cumberland appears to have attempted to use the "Swingtown" link to broaden the sweetener's appeal beyond the morning joe.

Take a step back. It's SOP that when a drink topples on a lapel or blouse, there's a scramble for the nearest seltzer bottle. Canada Dry Sparkling with some elbow grease has surely saved many an evening function.

Add some Alka to the seltzer and apparently there are even stronger qualities to be found. Forget just dabbing a blazer. According to Reader's Digest, Alka-Seltzer does a lot more than settle the tummy. It cleans jewelry and toilet bowls; unclogs drains; and soothes insect bites. "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, what an unknown helper it is!"

But Bayer hasn't exactly gone out of its way to tout any alternate uses for Alka-Seltzer.

Apparently not so for Sweet 'N Low.

Seltzer: You have a challenger!

If the July 10 integration in "Swingtown"--one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX--is to be believed, it might make sense to carry around a few of the pink packets. Not so much to put in the coffee, but if the coffee leans too far to the right or left.

In the "Swingtown" episode--it's a series about couples in the 1970s--a luncheon speaker loses her grip on a Bloody Mary, causing a stain on her white suit coat.

A would-be miracle worker immediately commands a waiter: "Get me some Sweet 'N Low! As much as you can find. Hurry!"

Then, armed with a swarm of pink packets (clearly visible to the viewer), she asks for the blazer. But the jacket owner isn't so sure. Wary, confounded, perplexed--she's wondering why on earth artificial sweetener is about to be applied to her new brand-new suit.

Next comes the core of the well-executed integration. Essentially, a classic consumer products spot is weaved right into the show--a spot that offers an impressive product demonstration followed by a save-the-day payoff.

So the heroine goes to work, using alchemistic Sweet 'N Low to gently remove the blotch. Finishing her handiwork, she adds: "And once it's dry and the stain is absorbed, you simply brush off the whole mess ... Voila! Good as new!"

The stunned jacket-owner is agog. "You are a miracle worker!"

While so many product integrations simply wash over glazed viewers, this one was spot (spot-free?) on. The integration could easily be repurposed as an ad that stands on its own. And a memorable one at that. An unexpected, yet impressive display of what a product can do ... always sweet.

So, if Splenda proves too formidable, the stain removers category may be worth a try.

Product	Show	Q-Ratio
Lamborghini	The Cleaner	1.7521
Saab	Burn Notice	1.4138
Orbit	The Soup	0.5985
Southwest Airlines	The Next Food Network Star	0.2657
Sweet'N Low	Swingtown	0.2018

Click here to view these placements. Data and analysis provided by iTVX.